Week In Review 4/28/17

This is your last week in review for the school year. I know, cue the sad music. That being said, I hope you are all wrapping up the year on a good note, and remembering to practice self-care and minimize your stress.

For the duration of the summer we will still be updating the master calendar regularly with local events, should you be in town.

Bad News

​The U.S. GDP grew by just 0.7% in the first quarter of the year, the slowest pace in 3 years (NPR). While this number does not signal a recession any time soon, it is relevant to note that Wall Street was expecting the number to be at 0.9% (NYT).

The country has gone months without a substantial update on the status of the State Department’s staff since hundreds of positions were vacated after actions from President Trump (CNN). A new report released indicates that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is preparing to cut over 2,000 more jobs from the agency (The Hill).

In February of this year, Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton proposed a plan which would add 15,000 residents to the city by annexing property for the first time in over a decade (WTIU). The proposed properties were all surrounded by Bloomington land, and the individuals living there fully benefited from Bloomington services without paying Bloomington taxes. ​This was fine and dandy until the state’s proposed budget voided any annexation plans that were proposed after December 2016 and before July 2017, effectively targeting only the city of Bloomington (WTIU). This provision was added, literally, in the middle of the night and without public input, and the budget has since passed (WTIU). It’s almost as if our Republican officials knew how shady they were being and wanted to hide it.

When racist pseudoscientist Charles Murray came to campus a few weeks ago (SPLC), student protestors were met with an incredibly militarized and disproportionately sized police force which included IUPD, as well as Bloomington Police and State Troopers. It has come to light this week that there is still an outstanding bill of $6,771 due to IUPD for the cost of the extra staff at the event (IDS). This bill will likely be paid by student tuition dollars.